Gary Mills was last night hoping to add up to THREE new strikers to his ranks in the next 48 hours.

But should any arrive today, they will be ineligible for Gateshead’s FA Trophy second round replay against Grimsby Town at the International Stadium tonight having not been registered with the club for Saturday’s original tie, a goalless draw at Blundell Park.

The Tynesiders’ goalscoring record this season does not actually compare too unfavourably with either their Conference rivals or their own form last term.

Four teams above them in the top half of the Vanarama Premier table – the Heed are 12th – have scored fewer league goals, while their own total of 43 is just two behind their tally at the same stage 12 months ago.

Yet given the extent to which his side dominates possession in games, and the sheer volume of chances they create, Mills believes they should have scored a lot more goals in the current campaign and, thus, claimed a good deal more wins.

“I’m hoping to bring two, maybe three players in because we need to liven that up,” he said.

“We need some pace, we need to go and hurt teams more, and then have the solidity that has given us our last couple of clean sheets.

“It’s all right keeping them but we need to win matches, we need to win games.

“So as much as we’ve got those clean sheets, if we’re going to be in a position this year to go and achieve what we set out to do, then I need to improve our creativity.

“We need to be more offensive in certain areas.

“I had Matty Pattison and Robbie Ramshaw in the wide positions on Saturday, so that alone tells you that we’re well short of that type of option.

“So it’s a happy medium, it’s about getting everything right.

“We haven’t got much choice on Wednesday because we’ve got to play the same personnel squad-wise that was eligible for the original tie. You can’t play any new players in the replay.

“But certainly by Saturday I’m hoping to have really good options in those areas. It’s something that I’m out to address, hopefully.”

Mills has already added Matty Robson to his squad, the Carlisle United wideman having joined on loan until the end of the season.

“He’s a good pro who’s played a lot of games, and he’s still as fit as a fiddle,” said Mills.

“He’s got pace, he’s an attacking full-back. I thought he was excellent in his first game (last Wednesday’s goalless draw at home to Woking), and Saturday he was ill and maybe shouldn’t even have started.

“He had to come off at half-time, which was a bit of a downer.

“But my first impressions are that he’s going to be a good addition for us.”

Robson is understood to have recovered from the virus that curtailed his run-out on Saturday, but James Curtis (ankle) and Alex Rodman (shoulder) remain sidelined.